I Refuse To Leave You
by Leech613
Summary: Leading off from the end of Volume 13 of DanMachi. Bell and Ryuu must escape from the 37th floor of the Dungeon, but it seems that the task will be more difficult than they thought - and with Ryuu's bounty reinstated, what will become of her if they do manage to get out of their current predicament?
1. Chapter 1

_We're nothing more than puppets. Toys, created by fate, only to become a source of entertainment for the gods. What more can there be to life than to fulfill that purpose?_

It was something she had always said, ever since she became an adventurer. That mindset hadn't changed, not even after she had met him. It was something she had buried deep within her soul - a lesson never to be forgotten. It was how she had survived for so long - she wanted to prove that it was wrong. That there was more to life than being laughed at by deities.

Now, she had given up trying to do so. It wasn't possible - she had resigned to her fate. She would die here, on the 37th floor of the Dungeon, alone.

Well - not quite.

"Ryuu! Are you alright? Ryuu, come on, answer me!"

Her eyes could barely open but she forced them to, to meet the fires of his.

"Mr Cranel…"

"Thank goodness! Can you walk? We need to get out of here as soon as we can. I heard a monster's roar just a minute ago and it didn't sound nice."

The elf could barely make words. Perhaps it was the acid of the Lambton's stomach or the battle with the Juggernaut, but it seemed that something had damaged her neck, burning into it. She ignored the pain, trying her best to sound intelligible.

"Go… leave."

"I'll take that as a no, then," Bell said stiffly, dismissing what she had inferred. Sliding his battered arms underneath her, he lifted her with one swift movement and began moving in the direction of what he hoped was the entrance of the 36th floor.

"Damn it."

"Save your energy for our return trip. I can't carry you forever," Bell joked dryly, hoping to shush her.

"Then don't."

Bell didn't listen to anything she said after that point. He knew she would only keep asking him to make his own escape and to leave her behind. It wasn't going to happen. He had already made his decision; either they both made it out alive or they would die together.

He considered his options. He could keep wandering around this unfamiliar floor and hope to find the door to the higher floors or he could try to find a Xenos Hidden Village and beg that Lyd and his group might find him all the way down here. Looking at his belt and seeing no potions except one dual potion, he ruled out the first option. Yet the second option wasn't much better. They would have a hard time surviving until the Xenos found them.

But it didn't have to be the Xenos. He could hope that a search party would be sent down to find him. In fact, knowing that Ouranos thought him to be the key to peace between demi-humans and monsters, a search party would almost certainly come for him - but then came the problem of Ryuu.

It was a given that the moment they rescued her, they'd take her back to the surface, trial her and most likely…

He didn't want that to happen.

Hearing the fearsome howl of the monster behind him, he picked up the pace, searching for a patch of quartz that might hide a whole passageway into a village behind it.

His feet soon began to drag, unable to support him for so long. He had taken too large of a toll earlier from the battle against the Juggernaut and the experience inside the Lambton's stomach.

"You're heavier than you look," he said, trying to find a distraction from his aching soles.

Ryuu didn't answer, or rather she couldn't. There was no question that he would have to make it to a safe point and give her the dual potion. She wouldn't be able to talk otherwise, and thus it would be impossible for her to use her healing magic.

He didn't take so much as another step before the clattering of bones sounded from behind him. He half-hoped it was Fels but he knew better than to expect a miracle. Turning around, he saw three spartoi walking towards him ominously, swords clanging as they were towed along the ground, sending sparks flying off rocks.

It didn't take much for Bell to start sprinting in the opposite direction. At a potential level of 4, they would be too strong for him to fight alone. It would also take him far too long to defeat them which would allow other monsters to target the pair of surface dwellers.

And not to mention the floor boss of the 37th floor, the Udaeus.

The spartoi weren't going to give up easily. The ran after him, surprising him with their unexpected speed. They were almost able to keep up with him - luckily, with his level of agility, Bell was able to outrun them after a while.

Ryuu, however, had suddenly become wide-eyed after the escape.

Bell knew he couldn't take the time to ask her what was wrong. He could only move forward. The words of his grandfather echoed in his mind.

 _Can't protect one little lady? You call yourself a man?_

She was someone he absolutely had to protect. There were only a select few who did not criticise Bell for his actions in the Xenos incident and she had been one of them. She had praised him for his efforts, even, and she had saved his life on several occasions before that.

Just when he thought he might've been done for, he saw the glow of a familiar crystal. It was like a holy light at this point in time. The quartz shimmered in front of his eyes, a sight for his sore eyes.

"…"

Now all he had to do was to find a wall that might contain a chamber behind it. His eyes took a while adjusting to the brightness of the scene before him and it wasn't long before he heard the terrifying monster call again.

 _Come on, where's the door? There has to be a village around here, please…_

His eyes locked onto a tower of quartz that seemed rather out of place and he raced towards it, not a moment too soon as he heard the discerning bone crackling from behind him. The spartoi had caught up.

He raised his fist at the wall and activated Fire Bolt.

The quartz shattered, a hole now visible behind it. He dived in, hearing one of the spartoi closing in. He clung to Ryuu tightly, practically hugging her. Oh what the goddess and Syr would think. Especially Syr. He could already imagine it, against his wishes not to. Knowing Ryuu's tendencies to place Syr's desires before her own, Ryuu would probably complain too, if she had to mental and physical energy to do so.

The quartz had almost closed behind him when half of the first spartoi body came through. The wall closed after that. The other spartoi, not having the intelligence of a Xenos, stood outside, confused as to where their prey had gone. As for the spartoi inside the wall, it raised its blade to strike the petrified Ryuu, still laying on top of Bell.

His Hestia Knife slid out of its scabbard to block it, his fatigued arm doing its best to prevent the sword from reaching Ryuu. He gently pushed Ryuu off him towards the inside of the cave so that he could possibly get up and fight the skeleton on his feet. The spartoi reared its sword back up, murderously arcing downwards. Hakugen was pulled out just in time for Bell to complete a double-knife defence, stopping the sword in its tracks. The spartoi, knowing nothing more than to hack and slice, drew its sword back up for another hit.

Bell desperately rolled out of the way, but straight into Ryuu. However, it was out of range of the sword's deadly trajectory. It became lodged in the ground and it gave Bell some time to get up while the spartoi struggled to pull it out.

Every bone in his body hurt - ironically, he was fighting a skeleton. He knew that he had to finish this soon. He couldn't charge Argonaut - his Mind was nowhere near the state it needed to be at for him to pull off a charge. All he could do was to keep blocking and hope for an opening to throw one of the knives into the monster's Magic Stone.

Another slash was blocked by another solid defence, but it didn't allow Bell any time before it came down upon him again. This would only end once one of them ran out of energy and it was undoubtedly going to be Bell who did so first.

Already on his last reserves of energy, Bell fell to his knees before the spartoi after its seventh successive strike. He had all but given up and knew he could survive only one more hit before it was kill or be killed.

The final blow came onto his crossed blades. He grit his teeth, vainly attempting to prevent the sword from coming any closer. It was close enough that he could see all the nicks along the sharp edge. The same edge that would cut into his skull if he didn't do anything soon.

He had run out of options, waited too long. There was no way for him to throw a knife without allowing the sword through. Even the spartoi knew this and shook, as if it were laughing, as it pressed harder on its sword.

But the next instant, it stopped. It stopped moving. Stopped pressing forward. The rattling of its mouth bones, the sound that had been its merciless laughter, had ceased. A short sword had embedded itself within its rib cage, its tip piercing the Magic Stone at the centre.

Bell looked behind him, seeing a drained Ryuu falling on her back once more after watching the result of her careful throw. He collapsed beside her, leaning on the wall next to them. Without a word, he took the potion he had saved out of his belt and opened it. He propped her head onto his leg and raised the tube to her lips. In her state, she couldn't refuse it.

Half the bottle had been consumed when she had recovered enough to stop him from giving her any more.

"Drink the other half yourself."

"…"

Bell didn't move his hand, but he didn't force the rest of the potion down her throat either.

"Noah Heal can take care of the rest," she tried persuading him. He reluctantly downed the rest of the potion, believing her. Ryuu quickly cast Noah Heal on herself to convince him further.

The two of them were silent after that, both unable to produce a conversation. It was hard to say anything under the circumstances they were in.

"You should have left me and gone on your own."

Bell made a sound that almost sounded like he was snarling. "You wish I did."

"I'm a murderer, Mr Cranel… I don't deserve to live."

"You'll be the end of me too if you hold yourself in contempt like that. And quit it with the Mr Cranel. I have a name, so use it, please."

His words sparked a memory within her. He had used her own words, once again - just like that time on the 18th floor.

 _"Miss Ryuu! Don't hold yourself in contempt. I'll get angry!"_

"I'm sorry… it's just that… those spartoi… their skulls… they reminded me of all the people I've brutally killed. My familia members that I sacrificed to save my own life."

Bell couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine. It was as if she was narrating a horror story, and he didn't like it.

"So I ask you again, why didn't you leave me?"

Bell snorted. They were safe for the time being, so he decided one joke wouldn't hurt.

"Syr would hate me for the rest of my life if I left you and returned to Orario alone," he said with a mischievous flicker in his eyes which soon died away. "But also because you're my friend, Ryuu."

He took her hand, feeling her warmth against his.

"A precious friend that I could never leave behind."

Stubborn and straightforward as ever, she continued to disagree with him.

"We're only puppets made for the gods' amusement. We're all the same. Why should I be worth any more than other people?"

"We're much more than that, Ryuu. Humans… Demi-humans, even monsters. We're all the same because we all have a dream," he explained his philosophy to her. "You're worth more because you respect my dream to become the strongest adventurer in the world. You've never laughed at me for wanting that. Nor have you ever questioned my decisions," he continued.

"What if I let my rage take over and turned against you?"

"Then I'd make sure you understand that no matter what, you're always the Ryuu I know," he answered without hesitation, "I won't fight you. Even if it took my life to make sure you understand, I would be okay."

It was enough for Ryuu, who now had tears falling from her eyes.

"Thank you, Bell," she whispered, slowly drifting out of consciousness. She could not be blamed; she was mentally and physically incapacitated due to the events of the past two days. Bell smiled at her, her head still resting on his thighs.

 _Wait a minute… what is it with me giving waitresses lap pillows?_

Bell chuckled quietly, knowing he'd never be able to answer that question. Instead, he took the time he had to decide what his and Ryuu's next move would be. He thought over his previous ideas. It was certain that there would be someone who'd come after them, whether it were _Loki Familia_ or the Xenos. It would've been preferable if it were the Xenos - he had no idea how _Loki Familia_ would treat Ryuu and what would become of her should they be their rescuers.

He decided it probably wouldn't hurt to take a nap himself. He would discuss their options with Ryuu later, when they were both mentally prepared.

A/N - I know I probably should have this at the beginning of the chapter but...

Yeah, I'm back - with a DanMachi fanfiction. Just in case it wasn't obvious that I'm not Fujino Omori, I do not own _Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka?_ , its characters or any of its content for that matter. This'll probably end up being a three (five?) part series, so I hope you enjoyed this one and will read the next. It's been a long time, but I have to say: it's really nice to be writing again.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hence, I've decided our best possible choice is probably to move higher up in the dungeon. There's only one monster I could possibly trust down here."

"You don't mean… that black rhinoceros?"

Bell shrugged, neither confirming nor denying that Asterius was the one he was talking about.

"Well, it's time to get going," he said casually. In truth, he was trying to hide his anxiety. They were lucky that they hadn't sustained any immense injuries - despite having been flung against a wall by the Juggernaut, Ryuu's boned had remained intact, meaning that the potion and Noah Heal were able to completely restore her vitality.

However, Bell knew that they had a chance to run into the Udaeus. There was no guarantee that either _Loki_ or _Freya_ _Familia_ had come in the past three months. In fact, he was almost sure they hadn't - the horrifying screeches from earlier had been more than enough evidence that the Udaeus was present. In addition to the Udaeus, he couldn't forget about the Juggernaut either. He knew he could win against it with Argo Vesta but it would take a lot of his physical and mental power to do so.

He smashed the crystal doorway open and stepped out of their hiding hole only to see the spartoi from earlier, still waiting just ten metres away.

"You are kidding…"

"I'll take the one on the left," Ryuu declared crisply. Bell was mildly bothered by the fact that he had to deal with a spartoi again but unsheathed both his knives, seeing no other alternatives considering the skeletal figures had already closed in on them.

The previous fight hadn't been his smoothest for sure. He decided that he would make this one quick. An overhead slice bore down on him but he slid out of its way easily. Now behind the spartoi, he considered throwing Hakugen. It would be fast enough to reach the spartoi before it could protect itself, but he decided against it as it would most likely not hit through the bones.

He cast a Firebolt, aimed for the spartoi's head. The head snapped backwards, giving him enough time to run to close quarters and lunge with his Hestia Knife. The spartoi twisted around just before the Hestia Knife snuck through the hole in its ribs, but the power of the weapon tore its bone off and broke its magic stone afterwards anyway. The rest of its body crumbled.

Meanwhile, Ryuu was almost done with her adversary as well. She had attacked it relentlessly since the beginning and was now ready to finish it off after shaving both of its arms off. She beheaded it with one swift movement, its decapitated body falling backwards. She stepped on the skull and smashed it, making sure it was done for, and retrieved the magic stone.

"Might as well," she muttered matter-of-factly, seeing Bell staring at her.

Bell couldn't help but agree. Ryuu was most likely not going to have a life within Orario after this was all over and she would need all the funds she could get her hands on.

They began on their planned route, towards the higher floors. There, they could probably find more adventurers and possibly the Xenos who would help them. From there, they could return to the surface safely from either the main entrance or Knossos.

But fate had different plans for them.

A crackling came from ahead, a sound that both of them had come to recognise very well over the past few days.

"No way… it followed us all the way here?"

"Ryuu… I hate to make you do this, but can you distract it for me?"

Ryuu nodded, walking forward to meet the Juggernaut, its ghastly face enough to scare most adventurers into submission. Its right arm was missing, having been blown off by Bell's earlier attack, as was its tail. However, it appeared surprisingly weak without its outer shell, which Bell had also ripped off. Ryuu charged at it, her short swords ready to strike it. She aimed specifically for the left arm, hoping that it would collapse if she took out its remaining forelimb.

Meanwhile, Bell had already readied a Firebolt on the Hestia Knife. Argonaut was activated, producing more white sparks by the second. A nine second charge had taken off the monster's protective outer layer; it would take no more than a twenty second charge to annihilate it here.

Ryuu crossed her blades, bringing them both across the creature's joint of its arm and breaking it. Its horns, which it had previously used to defend against her offensives were both on the ground having also been cut off.

Bell was ready and ran at the Juggernaut, Hestia Knife poised to split its head in half. He jumped above it as it reared up, its tail making a last ditch attempt to protect itself, but it was too little, not just metaphorically, it wasn't long enough anymore - and more importantly, far too late. His knife made contact with its head and roaring flames spread through its body and engulfed it almost instantaneously.

Bell was already quite tired - he had tried to put as little mind into his charge as he could, knowing that it would kill the monster as long as he had charged for more than he had previously. He had gone a whole eleven seconds over as a precaution.

"I don't suppose Noah Heal can help with my mind."

Bell started moving forward again, leaving behind the remains of the Juggernaut, still glowing red from the flames.

It just seemed that nothing would go their way.

"Bell."

"I hear it."

The ground had split in several places, as if an earthquake had struck in the Dungeon. They were small cracks, meaning the epicentre was still some ways away, but it was moving.

"It's…"

"The Udaeus," Bell finished for her. Instinctively, he began another charge. The ringing of the bell was drowned out by the cracking of the ground.

The enormous figure eventually came into view. Essentially a massive, half-submerged spartoi, a description of it would've been enough to scare almost every child to sleep. It slithered closer, a large broadsword clunking after it as it dragged it along the ground.

"Please let me still have enough mind power to fully charge another Argo Vesta."

Bell knew that the attack he had used to defeat the Juggernaut had only taken a lot of his stamina - his mind was probably still able to operate at maximum capacity.

"I'll distract it."

"Ryuu… you don't have to. We can run for now."

"You would suffer the strains of Concurrent Chanting if we do. I have no doubt that you are even stronger than I am now, but I don't think you can pull it off."

She was right. He would be able to hold it for one minute at most if he did run - his concentration could be broken easily.

Bell sighed, motioning for her to go. Ryuu darted off with a speed that matched her alias, _Gale Wind_. Her velocity was able to carry her in front of the Udaeus in the matter of just a few seconds. She didn't hesitate to strike the moment she locked eyes with the figure.

Running through the arc of the monster's murderous blade, she cut at the spinal structure that supported most of its body with her short swords. It was expected that it did no damage to it whatsoever - even the Sword Princess had taken a beating to defeat the Udaeus.

Her position had several advantages but also disadvantages. Here she was in the monster's blind spot, where it could not hit no matter what it did, but it also meant that it would not see her as a threat considering all she could cut from there was its impenetrable spine, meaning it could keep moving and attack Bell who was barely even a minute in to his charge.

"Bastard."

She ran back into the Udaeus' vision, practically begging it to attack her. The monster, unaware of the dangers the boy ahead could bring it, swung its sword down with such force that embedded it in the ground. Ryuu ran up the side of it, onto its arm and hacked away at the elbow joint. She hadn't done much before the Udaeus' large and stiff free hand swept her off, throwing her into a wall nearby.

"Ryuu!"

She slid down the wall from where she had landed - or rather fell - and stood up once again. It was a miracle that she didn't have any broken bones yet. Charging at the Udaeus once more, she aimed for its feet instead while it still struggled to free its sword.

But she didn't account for its other ability.

Spartoi seemingly rose from the ground, swords raised and ready to attack her. She retreated, hoping that she would be able to take on the horde that the Udaeus had summoned if they were all in front of her. She had heard that the Sword Princess had been able to take out the Spartoi with no issues at all, so she thought that she would be fine.

She released her inner terror and started her massacre, throwing both her blades into the magic stones of unsuspecting victims. She ran past their shattering bodies, pulling both swords back out and repeating the process with two other spartoi. Again and again, her speed proved her too much for the spartoi horde as it quickly shrunk down to only two. These two would not be easy to deal with - they had seen how she had defeated their comrades and knew to avoid her swords.

Retrieving her weapons with speed that equalled Bell's, she turned to face the two spartoi before her, but only for a second. In one moment, they were in front of her, doing the closest the a skeleton could to glare menacingly, then the next, they were nothing but a pile of bones, the Udaeus' broadsword having cleaved through them, the boss completely disregarding them and going straight for Ryuu.

She had seen Bell's engagement with the spartoi in the cave and knew that she had one technique that could lessen the impact, yet it was still only a chance. She crossed her blades, forming a X shape and caught the broadsword between them. The impact pushed her along the ground no matter how fiercely she resisted but she was mostly successful in repelling the blow that could have literally halved her.

It was then that the bell struck. Ryuu felt as if she were in Orario when the midday bell chimed, but this wasn't Orario - this was the 37th floor of the Dungeon and it was Argonaut that had caused the bell chime.

The Udaeus had noticed it as well. It turned its head towards Bell, who had already started running towards it, the luminescent Hestia Knife sparkling in his right hand. Ryuu figured he wouldn't be close enough by the time the monster was able to raise its broadsword to either attack Bell or to defend itself, so she took action and climbed its sword again. Stopping at the hand, she tried cutting its fingers off. One by one, the bones dropped from its hand. Ryuu continued, noting that she would have to sharpen her short swords when possible.

There was one finger left by the time the Udaeus had flicked her off. Ryuu couldn't catch herself and landed awkwardly, fracturing one, if not both of her ankles in the processes of rolling to protect her other bones. But she had done her job. One finger was not enough to control the sword and it was too late for it to switch to the other hand.

"The rest is up to you, Bell Cranel."

Bell leapt up from beneath the Udaeus, landing on top of its ribcage. Jumping once more, he swung the Hestia Knife at the neck of the Udaeus. The blade sliced cleanly through its neck, setting its whole spinal cord alight. The flames of Firebolt burned every last bone the Udaeus possessed, leaving behind nothing but ash and its massive broadsword. Bell, too weary from his four-minute charge, was barely able to land on the ground safely. He collapsed, worn out from the battle. Ryuu dragged herself closer and cast Noah Heal immediately once he was in range.

"You really did it."

"We did it," Bell was able to say.

Bell tried to get up but the effects of Noah Heal hadn't been applied yet and he slumped back on the ground, depleted of his stamina.

"Rest, Bell."

"We have to keep going," he grunted, standing up unsteadily. "We have to get back to Orario. Lilly, Welf, Mikoto, Haruhime… my goddess… they're waiting for us. Syr is waiting for our return. We musn't delay a second."

Ryuu sighed. She knew that she couldn't stop him anymore.

"Alright. I've been down here with the former _Astraea Familia_ , so I know where to go. Follow my directions and don't get us lost," she ordered briskly.

Bell flinched at her sudden, harsh change in tone, but as he had said earlier, it didn't matter how she acted - Ryuu was always Ryuu to him. He had noticed the different use of wording to what he had expected.

"I suppose you need me to help you?"

"It would be much appreciated," she answered sarcastically. Bell waited before he felt Noah Heal restoring his stamina then picked up Ryuu how he had when they first fell down to where they were. She did nothing else but point towards what Bell could assume was the entrance to the 36th floor.

Before he knew it, he was standing at a gateway. Exactly where Ryuu had pointed. He stopped, staring at it, and couldn't help but feel elation at making it where he was.

"I thought we couldn't waste any time?"

"You got me there," Bell admitted, carrying both Ryuu and himself through to the 36th floor.

A/N - Whoops. Late as always. Truth is, I've had this chapter ready for a while, actually… it's just that I got caught up watching Thunderbolt Fantasy and playing Azur Lane… Well, that aside, this is chapter 2. Chapter 3 probably won't take too long, so get ready. It's certainly good to see a few people reviewing so if it's not too much to ask, I'd be grateful for more. Anything I can change, etc.

Oh, and of course, the usual - I'm not Fujino Omori, and therefore I don't own DanMachi or any of its characters.

That said, I hope you enjoyed reading and have a good day!


	3. Chapter 3

They had made it to the 27th floor when Ryuu noticed something was wrong. As an elf, she was experienced in the art of tracking and she had noticed a set of footprints that didn't belong there.

"This is…"

"These are the footprints of an Amphisbaena, but there should've been another half month until it spawned."

"Don't tell me we have to fight another Monster Rex."

"Judging from the appearance of it, it was here a few days ago. If we're lucky, we won't bump into it."

Bell nodded silently, hoping for that to be the case. He had heard the roaring of the Great Fall long before he had even stepped foot on the 27th and now saw the bottom of it, crashing down into a basin that lead to what used to be a passage to Lolog Lake, near Melen. It was sealed now, meaning their only way out was still up. The crystalline walls around him blinded him after being in the Deep Floors for several days, their jagged tips reflecting his face on every side. He looked at his own image and exhaled, quite tired from his trip up ten floors while carrying Ryuu. He wasn't just joking on the 37th floor - she really was heavy.

"Bell, Bell."

And then came a voice he would be eternally grateful to hear. A gorgeous mermaid had placed herself beside a rock, waving and calling out to him in her angelic voice.

"Bell, I hope you haven't left Syr for some monster fetish of yours."

Bell only wanted to groan in disappointment. Was Ryuu joking, or was she serious? He swore to his goddess and every other deity he could think of that he didn't have a monster fetish, including Ryuu's former goddess, Astraea.

"I'm joking."

Bell chuckled quietly. Ryuu was so often unemotional that it was hard to tell if she was serious or not when she spoke. He thought nothing more of it and turned his attention to the mermaid ahead of him.

"Marie."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little bit tired."

"Your friend?" Marie asked curiously. At first, Bell only though she was asking him to introduce them.

"This is Ryuu. She works as a waitress up on the-"

"Silly Bell. I was asking if she needs healing."

Bell realised what she meant by her question and carrier Ryuu closer to the edge of the water. She couldn't use Noah Heal to heal broken bones - it was the same problem with Wiene and potions. If they healed it without putting the bones back in place, there would be a chance it would only become worse.

But if Mermaid's Blood could return Bell's whole arm, surely it could fix Ryuu's bones with no difficulty.

He laid Ryuu down without an arm's reach of Marie but not too close in case monsters leapt out of the water. The mermaid bit her finger, holding it in front of Ryuu's mouth. Bell tried to hold in a laugh, remembering what his reaction was.

"Thank you, Marie."

Bell cried on the inside, depressed that he couldn't share his initial confusion with anyone else. Well, it was only natural. Ryuu had been an adventurer for much longer than he had. It was foolish of him to think that she wouldn't know the miracles of Mermaid's Blood. He distracted himself from his sadness by asking Marie his own questions.

"Marie, do you know what happened to my friends? Lilly, Welf and the others."

"Chased to the 24th floor by the big two-headed monster."

"So… the Amphisbaena is on the 25th?" Bell envisioned his friends running for their lives from the fearsome monster. It was not a Monster Rex to be trifled with - only the best adventurers in Orario could take it down. The fact that it had two heads was already frightening enough to most adventurers. Nobody wanted to fight off one head while the other on its tail came around to bite them in half.

"Amphiswhat?" Marie was puzzled. After all, she had never really heard the names of monsters before meeting Bell.

"The big two-headed monster."

"Oh! Yes. It's on the 25th floor, but it might come back down here because your friends are gone."

"Nobody's hurt, right?"

"No, all of them made it out with only the injuries they had before."

Bell was both relieved and panicked. His friends were safe, but the same couldn't be said for him, not quite yet. He could run into the Amphisbaena at any moment on his trip to the Large Tree Labyrinth. It would be difficult to fight with only him and Ryuu. Even if he had ranked up with all the excelia gained from killing both the Juggernaut and the Udaeus, it would be a challenge. A slip could mean the end of their lives.

"Marie, I know it's a massive favour to ask of you, but… could you find us the safest path?"

"Of course!" she agreed readily. He hadn't expected it to be so easy, considering the trouble they could encounter.

"Oh, and, uh… could I have some?" he asked ambiguously.

Marie stared at him, head cocked to one side.

Ryuu slapped him. Harder than anything he had felt since the last time he was on the surface, almost two weeks ago. Probably harder than anything he had felt before that, too.

"Women's enemy," she muttered. She knew exactly what he was after. He wasn't the innocent Bell she had known a few months ago. It was true what they said; adolescence did hit hard - though, judging from Bell's look of pain, Ryuu hit harder.

"Are you sure you didn't drink so much blood that you reincarnated into Lilly?"

Marie giggled and made sure that Ryuu was healed, then jumped off her seat and back into the water. Ryuu stretched her legs gleefully, preparing to stand up.

"It's amazing what it can do. It feels like nothing ever happened."

 _I hope that's what the Guild pretends when we make it back, too. That none of this happened._

He stood up, ready to follow Marie once she returned. Ryuu was already up, rolling her feet to test them.

"Ryuu… What do you plan to do? Your future, I mean," Bell asked hesitantly.

"I believe that is not for me to decide."

Bell knew exactly what she meant. There would be little to no chance of her being able to sneak out of Orario without being caught.

He took a deep breath, thinking over what he was going to say next.

"Join us. Join _Hestia Familia_."

"You would be defying the Guild."

"That doesn't matter. As long as you're with us, you will be safe."

"Hmm? That is an interesting prospect," Ryuu said, feigning amusement. With that she finished their conversation there as she had made it impossible for Bell to find anything else to say that might convince her. He had been told not to speak of Ouranos - he wasn't supposed to know the god personally in the first place.

It was then that Marie had returned, a bright smile on her face as usual.

"The Amphisbaena hasn't returned to this floor yet. I'll guide you up if you wish."

"Thank you, Marie." Bell was extremely grateful to have unlikely friends who could help him in situations such as these. If only he didn't suffer constant accusations of having a monster fetish because of it…

Marie had dived back into the water once more and Bell broke into a jog to keep up beside her. Ryuu had no problem keeping up with them - her title of Gale Wind certainly meant something. Charging through the tunnels, Bell held Hakugen close and slashed any monster that dared to get close to them. The 27th floor was enormous, he realised. It housed the bottom of the Great Fall so it was only natural that it was larger than the 25th, which was already massive. They had been running for half an hour when Marie had finally stopped.

"I'll meet you on the other side," Marie said, before ducking underwater and vanishing. Bell took a moment to catch his breath. Even he had become somewhat weary after running through the 27th floor. He couldn't ask Marie to slow down since it would put her in danger from the other monsters in the water. If only they couldn't sense that she was different from them.

"Tired already? That's no good," Ryuu jabbed at him.

"Speak for yourself," Bell shot back, noticing her also panting for air.

And so they would go through the same thing again on the next floor. Tunnel to tunnel, one monster going down after the other. It was more or less the same that had happened on the previous floor. As Marie's head bobbed out of the water once more, Bell was on the ground, sucking in deep breaths of air.

"Same as before, I'll see you on the other side."

That's what she said, at least. Not even a minute later, she was back, terrified.

"The Amphisbaena is directly in front of the entrance."

Bell and Ryuu both wore looks of shock. It was daunting, thinking that a monster would be stalking the entrance to a lower floor, but then again, it was no different to the Goliath that guarded the 17th floor. Only the Amphisbaena was a tougher enemy and considered level 6 purely due to the environment the adventurer had to fight in.

"No way out. One head each, perhaps?"

"How about I charge up Argo Vesta while I can, then wipe the thing out in one blow?"

It wasn't a bad option. Here Ryuu would be able to protect Bell while he got the most of his Argo Vesta charge. However, Bell hadn't been able to restore any of the mind power he had lost from fighting the Udaeus and Juggernaut - he wouldn't be able to land anywhere near a critical hit, but it was still worth a try.

Ryuu stood guard and took down any monsters that appeared near them so that they wouldn't break Bell's concentration, but she didn't have to do so for long. Two minutes had passed before the bell chimed.

"A lot less than I had hoped. Are you ready?"

Ryuu only nodded before running through the passageway and taking a glimpse of the immense beast in front of the doorway. Two grotesque heads swerved towards her, its body having detected the vibrations of her footsteps. Two pairs of eyes fixed on her, acknowledging her as its enemy. Bell waited out of sight, hoping that both of its heads would be distracted by the elf so that he could attack unhampered.

But the Amphisbaena knew better. It had sensed two sets of footprints and wouldn't be fooled. It only attacked Ryuu with one head, the other ready to deflect any attack its hidden adversary might launch.

For Bell, it was a bigger problem than he imagined. He could only wait for a moment to strike but that moment might come too late. Ryuu leapt out of the way as its tail swung down, trying to clobber her. Bell watched the main head carefully, wondering if it would close in and try to attack Ryuu before she could recover from her dodge. Unfortunately, it would seem that it had no intention of letting its guard down.

"One choice, then," he decided.

He ran out of the tunnel, hoping to finish the battle with speed. He could slide underneath the Amphisbaena and cut a slit down its belly. Most serpents had a weakness along the middle of their body, some way or the other. He figured that this one would be no different.

He was right in assuming so - he knew that the second it worked its tail back towards him, the head snapping at him ferociously. It was too late for him to avoid it - the Amphisbaena was just too fast, even for him - and had to do what he had least wanted, and slashed the gaping mouth.

The whole tail burst into flames, scorching it all the way down to the base and rendering it unusable for the rest of the battle - but the Amphisbaena no longer needed it. It had wasted its opponent's trump card, and it knew it. Bell had fallen to the ground after releasing so much energy without recovery and could only watch the monster come within striking range. Watch its head rear up, prepared to avenge the one on its tail by finishing the one who had destroyed it.

But Ryuu wouldn't allow it. She arrived in front of Bell before the Amphisbaena struck and was ready when it did. Her short swords gleamed as they sheared through the monster's blade-like teeth. Now without the ability to finish off its enemies quickly, the Amphisbaena could only resort to using its jaws to grab them and throw them against the wall repeatedly until it had won - and that was what it began to do. Its mouth clamped down on Ryuu and effortlessly lifted her only to toss her into the wall a few metres away. Assured that it had bought itself some time, it focused on the human that had almost delivered a vital blow.

It could choose from so many methods to end his life. It could throw him into the water, where the monsters in the stream could eat him alive, or it could stomp on him until his last breath was squeezed out by force. It decided that the human needed something to teach him a lesson to remember for his next life. The Amphisbaena grabbed Bell just as it had Ryuu a few moments ago, but rather than throwing him straight into the wall, it had a different idea. It tossed him up in the air and slammed its head upwards, sending him into the ceiling.

"Bell!" Marie cried. There was no way for her to reach him - she couldn't give him any of her blood to heal him.

But Bell, resilient as ever, didn't need healing. He stood, leaping back a few paces and safely out of range of the remaining head.

"The battle's only just begun."

A/N - Seems like 8 days will be the average upload interval. I know it's a bit long, but I hope I can be forgiven for that. Anyway, here's chapter 3. As always, I do not own DanMachi or any of its characters. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed. See you all next week!


	4. Chapter 4

He wasn't one to give up. Even when he knew he would be called a fool, he would consider it a compliment. Fools were those who never gave up and always pressed forward, even if their goal might have seemed unattainable.

That was the nature of Bell Cranel. He had been sapped of all his mind, thrown around by the Monster Rex of the 27th floor - but he couldn't care less. If he couldn't even defeat this monster, how could he expect himself to face Asterius again?

He dashed forward, both knives poised to strike the monster where its weak point probably was. Its head was upon him immediately, forcing him to use his blades defensively yet again. There was no chance for him to be on the offensive. Ryuu was still on the ground, holding her side. He knew he couldn't rely on her to help until she had recovered from the blow. He took his only choice, fleeing back out striking range of the Amphisbaena.

Ryuu had joined him, waiting for the monster to near them. She had a look in her eye that asked if he had a plan - and he did.

"I want you to cast Luminous Wind."

"It'll do nothing to that thing."

"I'll make it work. Trust me."

If there was one thing Ryuu could do above all else, it was trusting Bell with both their lives. She began her Concurrent Chant, running to distract the Amphisbaena while she prepared to cast her spell.

" _Distant sky above the forest. Stars without limits, set in an eternal night. He listens to my weak voice, and grants protection of the starlight._ "

"Marie, when I call, please splash as much water as you can into the air!"

Marie nodded, staying in the water for the time being.

" _Grant the light of mercy on those who have abandoned you._ "

Bell couldn't do anything. He had to bet everything on this attack he had planned. If this failed, there would be no hope left, unless he could make it back to the tunnel from the 26th floor to the 25th.

" _Come, wind of the winds, wandering traveler of the ages. Across the heavens, across the fields, faster than anyone, farther than all_."

It was almost time. He had to time this perfectly, otherwise it wouldn't work.

" _Stardust light, tear my enemies to pieces._ "

"Now, Marie!"

Her mermaid tail raised itself out of the water, coming down with such force that it created a fountain in its wake. Ryuu returned to where Bell was after finishing her chant.

" _Luminous Wind!_ "

"Firebolt!"

It was a combination attack that would be found nowhere else in Orario. No, in the whole world. He decided that if it worked, he would name it something like "Blazing Thunderstorm".

The wind did two jobs - it worked as its usual physical damage spell, but also carried water droplets towards the Amphisbaena. The electricity within Bell's Firebolt was conducted through each drop, close enough to carry the shock to another, eventually spreading throughout the wave that Marie had created. It all hit the Amphisbaena at once - the field of electric flames, the wind that only served to strengthen the fire. The creature screeched in pain and fear, throwing itself against the wall in confusion, and in doing so, gave Ryuu the time she needed to do what Bell was unable to do.

In the five years since she had lost her first familia, she had never let her short swords dull. They pierced the tough, rugged skin of the Amphisbaena and sliced straight into its magic stone.

The body shattered along with its core. Ironically, the flames had done nothing to form the ash that had been left behind.

"You never fail to impress me, Bell Cranel."

Bell didn't reply. He had collapsed on the ground, completely out of energy. He had used the last he had in this battle. She couldn't carry him through the 25th floor - it was a possibility that she might slip on one of the crystal bridges and send them both falling to their doom, but she certainly couldn't wait for him to recover either as monsters had begun to gather around them. Making her decision, she lifted Bell over to the waterway where Marie was dodging several aqua serpents around her.

"Marie, please help Bell!"

It was a difficult request. Marie would have to find some way to deal with the aqua serpents while giving Bell some of her blood. It just wouldn't work. Ryuu had no Undine cloth, and even if she did, she wouldn't be able to survive an aquatic battle that could buy Marie time.

It was quite the dilemma. To run or to wait, hoping that she could fend off all the monsters around her?

Ryuu laughed to herself out loud.

"If I can't deal with this for his sake, Syr would never talk to me again."

Monsters fell one after the other to her short swords. Meanwhile, she chanted to summon Luminous Wind, her only attempt to blow the aqua serpents out of the water. Once she was ready to attack, she turned around to the water.

But even the best of adventurers made mistakes.

She had let her mind run off, using it to aim her spell - but that was the only break in concentration needed to completely cancel Luminous Wind.

"Argh!"

A failed concurrent chant took a toll on the user and this case was no different. Ryuu's legs felt like they had broken underneath her, almost sending her face first into the ground. She wasn't hurt, but she didn't have the energy to fight anymore either. She watched the remaining monsters close in on them, ranging from sirens to mermen.

"So this is really the end now…"

Or so she thought, before the notorious double-headed Labrys slammed down onto the monster horde in front of her. Its wielder, the fearsome black rhinoceros grunted and made short work of the aqua serpents in the water as well, his precise and skillful hacks bisecting them. His axe did not risk Marie whatsoever. A monster with such control of a deadly weapon was a monster to be feared.

"Watch it, little elf. If he dies, you become my replacement, and I certainly won't be giving any mercy if you do."

Ryuu was genuinely terrified. Never had she been so scared of a single entity, yet here was one that chilled her to the bone. All she could do was nod in understanding.

Asterius disappeared as quickly as he had come, bounding towards the higher floors, supposedly to meet up with the other Xenos, threatening to crack the crystals below his feet.

With that, Marie had finally gotten her chance to give Bell some of her blood. Letting a few drops drip into his mouth, she waited anxiously for him to wake. Luckily, she didn't have to wait long as her blood worked its magic.

Bell sat up, feeling rejuvenated and ready to return to the surface. Seeing Marie nurse her bleeding finger, he figured out what she had done.

"Thank you again, Marie."

"May I have some as well? I have sustained quite a few injuries as well."

"Hmm? You're one to ask if I have a monster fetish, aren't you, Ryuu?"

Embarrassed or dignified - Ryuu suddenly did her best to straighten up. She tried to show no signs of weakness but it was clear that she wasn't doing too well.

Marie giggled and raised her finger to Ryuu's mouth and she took it gratefully.

"I imagine we'll be leaving soon. I'll see you another time, Marie. Maybe on our next expedition, okay?"

"Okay Bell! I'll be waiting to see how much stronger you've gotten!"

Ryuu's body had healed just as quickly as Bell's and they were indeed ready to leave.

"Thank you, Marie. We owe you a lot," Ryuu said solemnly.

"No you don't, stupid. You are my friends. I'll always be here to help."

Waving a final farewell, Bell and Ryuu began on their return to the surface.

It wasn't a difficult journey - with their bodies in optimal shape, their combined power was more than enough to breeze every floor they set foot on. And then came the 18th floor.

Bell hadn't lost to any monsters on this expedition, but one mere tackle from Lilly was enough to send him to the ground. Welf grabbed him in a headlock and Haruhime checked him like a mother would an injured child. Mikoto and _Takemikazuchi Familia_ stood back and watched the reunion with Aisha beside them, a massive grin on her face. Inevitably, it didn't last too long as no Amazon liked waiting.

"Well, if you're done with the reunions, how about we go back to the surface? We've been down here for so long, it would be nice to have a fresh breath of air."

Her suggestion, or rather push, was met with unanimous agreement. Sneaking past the town of Rivira and the camps of several familia on their own expedition, they began their journey up. Now with the full party back together, there was no problem at all. No monster parade stood in their way and they were almost immediately back on the ground floor of Babel.

Not that they were met by a friendly sight.

"Gale Wind… you are under arrest by order of the Guild. Don't try anything funny - any of you."

"You just can't stop being a pain in my neck, can you?"

The executives of _Loki Familia_ surrounded them, blocking all entranceways. Finn strode towards them confidently, an air about him that made him worthy of his title.

"We don't need to fight," he addressed them calmly, "if the elf puts her weapons down and comes forward, there will be no conflict. Nobody will be hurt."

"We will allow no such thing," Bell replied quickly.

Finn covered his face with a hand, dumbfounded by Bell's determination and stubbornness. With his mindset, it would be impossible to avoid violence, but it was evident that Bell couldn't care less. The boy's friends and companions needed no order to mobilise, either. They had already prepared themselves, laying their hands on the hilts of their weapons.

"We let you off easy last time. Don't think we'll do that again."

"You will have nothing but dust," Bell threatened him.

"The dust of your failure, I assume," Finn replied, almost sympathetically.

The leaders of both familia were as headstrong as each other. Neither would budge and there was no resolution to this situation other than one born from force. Tension grew, several of _Loki Familia_ 's warriors becoming restless. Aisha, upon spotting Bete had become agitated, itching for a rematch.

This time, there would be no _Freya Familia_ intervening. It would be a staggering loss for _Hestia Familia_ and its allies - but that didn't mean Bell wouldn't try something.

He burst off running, Lilly and Haruhime over his shoulders and dragging Ryuu behind him. Finn had clearly anticipated where he would try to escape to, having Ais block off the south-western exit. Mikoto moved to intercept the Sword Princess, buying enough time for Bell to get out of Babel. Mikoto stood as little of a chance as Bell did when he trained against Ais on the wall. She was blown away in a half-hearted thrust from Ais, falling onto the hard floor. Welf had occupied himself with Gareth, but a similar event occurred. Aisha struggled to defend against Bete's swords, barely able to hold up against him. _Takemikazuchi_ and _Miach_ _familia_ took on one Amazon each, both being beaten easily. Finn merely stood and watched, knowing the others could handle it without him. He noted that Ais had already begun to chase after Bell.

Luckily for Bell, Hearth Manor was not far and he had faith in his ability to outspeed Ais just for now. Reaching the gate in record time, he threw Haruhime and Lilly over unceremoniously, following with Ryuu in tow.

Ais stopped outside the courtyard, knowing that it would be a breach of privacy to enter without permission. Most of her fellow familia members joined her soon after, having quelled _Hestia Familia_ in little to no time at all.

Hestia came bolting out of the manor, having taken days off out of worry for her familia. Needless to say, she was stunned by the sight before her. The opposing familia's goddess herself had also appeared in front of the gate.

"Yer a branded enemy of the Guild now, Itty-Bitty. Whatcha gonna do?"

Hestia made no reply, angered by Loki's presence alone. Loki continued her teasing, serving only to annoy Hestia further.

"We've got your familia all subdued. Takemikazuchi and his kids are gonna get deported back to the Far East at this rate - oh, and don't get me started on those two from _Miach Familia_. I wouldn't believe for a second that those pathetic rascals were the ones who forced you outta yer house a few months ago. That Amazon from _Hermes Familia_ , too. A she-dog that shames my darling Tione and Tiona. Come on, just hand over the elf. We'll even let you have the bounty. Think about it, she's worth eighty- no, they doubled it, so she's worth a hundred and sixty million valis. That's almost enough to pay off your whole debt!"

Hestia snapped. She ripped the gate open and slapped Loki in the face, issuing her challenge without even having taken her glove off properly.

"Your best against my Bell. You win, go ahead and do what you want."

"Hmm? And if you win?" Loki asked, bored as usual.

"If we win, you get your hands off everyone in our party," Bell answered, knowing what Hestia would've said. There was no need for a pardon from the Guild - Ouranos would make sure they were given one with or without this challenge.

Loki chuckled, obviously amused by the courage of the two to challenge her best - her most powerful familia member.

"Sure. When do we start?"

A/N - Same old, same old, I'm not Fujino Omori and therefore I don't own DanMachi or any of its characters. We're almost done so I hope you enjoy this chapter and stick around for the next! Oh, just one more thing. I noticed that they recently added a category here for one of my favourite games (Azur Lane) and I have these random one-shots I wrote stacked up in Google Docs, so I've decided to upload them soon due to the addition of the tag. I hope you guys will try out the game and my fan fiction as well! That said, until the next chapter! (Or you can PM me, I don't mind!)


	5. Chapter 5

Hestia had requested a status update for Bell before the battle, and had used that time to call upon some foul play as well.

"Haruhime, give him a level boost so he's on even terms with that Wallenwhatsit."

"Goddess Hestia, that's…"

"Goddess… I'll still be weaker than her. I might as well not have it and play fair."

"Hmm? Seems like I forgot to mention that you somehow ranked up again. What have you been doing?"

Bell was speechless himself. He had no idea that he could grow so quickly, even when he wasn't thinking of his idol.

"I'll fill you in once I've won," he told her, smiling kindly.

"That's my Bell," she boasted, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Now go, show them who's the stronger adventurer."

Bell slipped his shirt back on while Haruhime cast Uchide no Kozuchi, raising his level further. He made his way out of the manor, the non-combatants following closely behind.

"You sure took yer time," Loki remarked, already bored to the bone by waiting only a few minutes.

"Shut it, flattie."

Ais had prepared herself in the courtyard, her saber at the ready. Bell stood no more than ten metres in front of her, both knives still sheathed.

"Yer kid's really arrogant, hey?"

Hestia ignored Loki's assumption. She knew Bell's fighting style and that he wouldn't be the one to start the battle.

"Whenever you're ready, feel free to begin, Miss Ais," Bell called over. He took the Hestia Knife out of its sheath, ready to cast a Firebolt into it the second the battle began.

The Sword Princess had expected this to be another of Bell's foolish whims and hoped to finish it quickly and sped forward - but it was no longer fast enough to outdo the vorpal bunny. Bell found himself able to evade every slice coming at him, ducking and side stepping out of its way. In the middle of one such dodge, he threw Firebolt onto the Hestia Knife, encasing it with Argonaut right after. Ais kept attacking him, having had no knowledge of what he was trying to do, unaware of the danger she could face if she stalled out the battle for longer than five minutes - now one minute longer due to his unexpected rank up.

It was a minute and a half into the charge when Ais had decided that she had finally had enough of Bell's skillful weaving. She would use Ariel and have faith that he would survive if he was hit.

Her speed increased noticeably, forcing Bell to do more than just dodge. He slid Hakugen out of its sheath, blocking as many hits as he could, missing only one every ten thanks to the rank up and the level boost from Haruhime. It really would be a disaster if the renart's magic got into the wrong hands.

Ais believed that he would not attack her and instead only used Ariel offensively - on the tip of her sword, sometimes on herself to help her strike faster, but Bell wasn't daunted whatsoever. He kept up his defence, occasionally knocking Desperate out of the way with Hakugen. If it weren't for the morals regarding the use of the level boost lurking in the back of his mind, he would've thought that he had really caught up with the person he admired most.

The halfway mark for his charge passed, and Ais had become more and more annoyed with every second it took. It wasn't right for Bell to be so strong so suddenly. It couldn't be! He had to be using some trick to be keeping up with her.

"How… how is this possible? You could barely match me at all a few weeks ago… what changed now?"

Bell didn't answer. He couldn't. He had to focus on his goal here and that was to defeat the girl that he had chased after for so many months. The one he was fighting for possibly the last time before she refused to have anything to do with him in the future.

Three minutes. The time was coming. Bell just had to hold up for just two more minutes, but the strain of fighting and charging Argonaut was beginning to show. He sweated profusely, every little thought concentrated on the battle he was fighting.

And then it happened. Ais managed to land a solid hit, sending Bell flying. He fell onto the ground, skidding into a stop as he hit the wall of the courtyard. Fortunately, he had kept the Hestia Knife from hitting any objects and wasting the charge, his one and only trump card. He deflected a thrust from Ais who had charged after him, her blade aimed at his heart. It wouldn't kill him if it hit, but it made it obvious to him that Ais was no longer giving him chances. His recent actions clashed with her sense of morality too much for her to forgive. Sure, the vouivre had shown that it meant no harm, but the elf had not. There would be no more mercy from the Sword Princess. There would be no salvation for them now if he lost.

One intended skewer after the other cracked the wall of the courtyard, Bell barely moving his body out of the way to evade each one. He had finally made it to his feet and thus gave himself more room to move, not that he could get away from the trap Ais had him in. He would have to roll to get out of the endless stabs around him, but a roll would surely force his knife to hit something.

Four minutes. Just one more minute to go. He couldn't lose the charge now, otherwise he would surely lose. He had sworn to himself since his battle against Asterius that the black rhinoceros was the only adversary he would lose to and he wasn't about to let the Ais get the better of him. No, he certainly couldn't be defeated by someone who had lost to Asterius.

He threw the knife up in the air and rolled out of the deadlock that Ais had him in. He caught his knife before the tip hit the ground and ran to gain as much distance as he could before the Sword Princess realised he was safe from her attacks. It didn't take long and Ais wasn't happy when she saw him several paces away from her.

This is was the boy she had personally trained - not that she had done a particularly good job at it - but she had seen to his practice herself. She had taught him techniques he would not have known otherwise. It would be shameful for her, the renowned Sword Princess, to drag out a battle against someone as such for much longer. It was time to see if he could still remember the trick she had taught him. She ran towards him and abruptly tripped on seemingly nothing.

Any other person would've seen nothing more than a window to attack her, but Bell knew better. When he dedicated his heart to something, he would not forget. He leapt back, making sure than Ais wouldn't be able to reach him once she recovered from her 'mishap'.

By the time she had, it was time. The bell of Argonaut rang louder than any in all of Orario. Ais came at him for the last time, encased in Ariel. Bell raised his knife, waiting for the perfect time.

Her sword flashed towards him in a forehand slice at his chestpiece that was to have sent him all the way back to Babel, but it was still too slow despite being the fastest blow the Sword Princess had ever tried to deliver.

"I'm sorry, Miss Ais, I really am. I don't want to antagonise you, so please forgive me. It's just that… a dear friend's life may well depend on this."

He gave her a few words of comfort and a bit of a plea before he slammed the Hestia Knife into her breastplate. Ariel could do little to stop the impact of the mighty knife from hitting its caster. Her breastplate shattered, yet the Hestia Knife was still not done. The breastplate had done its main job of protecting Ais, but it certainly didn't stop the flames from spreading and burning through the rest of her armour, nor the inertia from the impact.

Ais practically broke down the already damaged wall, only stopping when she hit another building nearby.

"Return my friends now, please," Bell panted, turning to look at Loki Familia.

"I admire you, Bell Cranel. You're exceptional, to be able to fight so fiercely for your friend. Your companions will be brought over before evening. Until we meet again."

It was a simple message from the Braver himself. Bell nodded to him, happy that the pallum knew how he felt. It would seem that he was the only member of Loki Familia able to speak after watching Ais' defeat.

After they had left, Haruhime cautiously tapped Hestia's shoulder.

"Don't you dare ask me about the ethics of using Uchide no Kozuchi," she snapped, predicting what the renard would say to her.

"But you know, Lady Hestia-" Lilly began, before she was cut off.

"If the leaders of the familia are okay with it, you should just go along with them," Hestia reasoned, and that was that. Haruhime and Lilly had both been silenced.

Finn made good on his promise, dropping off Welf and Mikoto outside the gate in the early afternoon. Both reported that the others who had been on their expedition had also been returned to their respective familia homes, albeit with a warning to not challenge Loki Familia again.

"Bell Cranel… no, Hestia Familia. I have no words to express my gratitude. You have all done so much that I simply cannot return the favour or find a way to thank you."

"Think nothing of it. If Bell is willing to fight tooth and nail for you, I have no objections to any other action we have taken," Hestia reassured her, but somewhat ruined it after by adding, "just don't get too close to my Bell, if you understand my meaning."

"So? What will you do from here?" Bell asked, hoping that she had really taken his offer into consideration. "The Guild has alleviated all punishments against us and cleared all of your charges."

"I… I will leave Orario regardless."

"You have friends here, and yet you still wish to leave?" came a voice unfamiliar to everyone but Ryuu and Hestia. The owner of the voice, with long brown hair and twinkling purple eyes stepped out into the room.

"G-Goddess Astraea?"

"She came here after she heard about you going into the Dungeon to hunt down the remainder of Evilus," Hestia explained, as if it told everyone why Ryuu's former goddess was in their home.

"Ryuu… how many years has it been since I have left? I'm so happy for you, that you have found someone outside of our familia worthy of your trust. Don't leave them. Don't be alone anymore."

"What are you saying, Goddess?"

"Let them be your new family."

"I had intended to leave Orario to find you again."

"In that case, I will return to Orario so that you will not leave behind these people who are so willing to care about you."

Ryuu was finally satisfied. This was an outcome she could be happy with - being able to stay in a city that she honestly loved, to reunite with her Goddess who still cared about her like her own daughter to this day and to spend her life with friends she would never forget, even in death.

"Please accept me as a friend and ally from today onwards. I will do my best to help you in any situation. I owe you all more than you can imagine, so do not be afraid to call upon me in your times of need."

"Forget the formalities, Ryuu. We all know each other here. Now, how about we start finding you some familia members? I can both tell you that being alone in a familia is the absolute worst, even if you do have your deity and friends outside of your familia. You can visit Blue Pharmacy and ask Naaza, I'm sure she'll tell you the same."

Ryuu had no objections. This was what she had always wanted. People who accepted her, people who would never leave her side. She smiled genuinely in what she felt like was years and gave him a reply.

"I'd be more than happy to."

A/N - Well, that's it. The end that I've honestly really enjoyed writing and a the end that you've all been waiting for. For probably NOT the last time (you never know when I might decide to write another DanMachi fan fiction), I am not Fujino Omori and thus do not own _Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka?_ or any of its characters. With that, I hope you've enjoyed reading this fan fiction. Feel free to criticise anything that you didn't like unless it relates to Bell x Ais. Please. I don't want to deal with that anymore. Syr is best girl for Bell.


End file.
